To Never Forget
by Heaven's-Grace
Summary: The SSA is dedicated to stopping all sorts of evil night crawlers but what happens when one of their own falls under that category. Naruto has to make a choice between duty and devotion. SasuNaru
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey there, it's Heaven's-Grace! Here is a new story i thought of. It will be full of a lot more cute SasuNaru scenes. I also have another SasuNaru fic that is very good, if you haven't already red it. Anyway, enjoy and please review.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything in it. Also, this story contains some 'bad' language and some friskeiness between characters(nothing too serious).**

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**To Never Forget**

Chap. 1

This life has taught me a lot. Many memories run through my mind, and I begin to wonder whether I made all the right choices. I wouldn't say that I regret any of it, but I do wish sometimes things would have gone differently. I consider myself lucky for having found a love that I will never forget, and I will never forget…

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"Hey Naruto! Behind You!" A raven-haired youth sprinted behind his comrade and cut the monster, which was waiting to strike him down, in half with a short sword. "Damnit, next time, don't space out or you might get killed!"

"OK! I got it! What pole got shoved up your ass?" Naruto, a blonde male of about 20 years old, snapped at his partner.

"Where's my thanks for saving your ass once again?" Naruto's partner gave him a smug smirk.

"As if, Sasuke! How many times have I saved you, huh? Loads more than you ever saved me. Besides, I just added one more save to my list." Naruto proceeded to point his gun right over a confused Sasuke's shoulder and shoot down a monster that had quite effectively snuck up behind the raven-haired Sasuke. Needless to say, Sasuke was not the least bit pleased at being made a fool.

"Hey you two! Quit flirting and get back to work!" Kakashi, the two boys' sensei, threw them a wilily smile, his one visible eye crinkled. Sasuke and Naruto broke out into simultaneous blushes and turned their heads away from one another.

"Whatever. Let's get going." Sasuke turned to his partner before jumping up out of the alley they were in, to join their teacher. The three males then jumped from roof top to roof top, getting a marvelous view of the metropolitan city of Konoha lit by thousands of lights.

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"Send the two hot heads here when they get in." An amply chested woman in her mid-50s, though she looked to be in her 30s, ordered her secretary from behind her large mahogany desk.

Naruto and Sasuke arrived at a large building beautifully bedecked in marble which was the headquarters to the Special Services Agency, SSA. Walking in, the two were greeted by fast paced hustle and bustling, the SSA was at its peak hours during the night.

"Hey, Naruto, Sasuke! Back so late? Hard mission?" Kiba, a brown-short-haired fellow employee, smirked. He also couldn't suppress a laugh when he noticed that both boys were covered in a brown, gelatinous substance.

"Shove it. Arhh, I need a bath." The brooding Sasuke stormed.

"Alright! I'm sorry Sasuke! Who knew that the stupid thing would explode?" Naruto reasoned, for he knew that Sasuke was angry at him.

"I TOLD you not to shoot it! But you went and did it anyway! And now I'm covered in this repulsive goo that probably will stink up my outfit for YEARS to come." Sasuke's long raven bangs clung to his face and his ever spiked rooster tail of hair was finally subdued by the offending slime. Passing female employees swooned at the sight of a brooding and wet Sasuke Uchiha. His creamy, pale, and perfect skin was tinted red in anger as he stomped off to the locker room.

Naruto opened his locker, which was next to Sasuke's, and pulled out some shampoo and conditioner.

"Shower's all yours." A wet, but now clean, Sasuke emerged from the shower room clad only in a fluffy white towel. Naruto and Sasuke had a system in the locker room that allowed for maximum privacy. This system had begun after a rather embarrassing incident. After a particularly exhausting mission, like the one they just completed, when the two had just been partnered up, several girls thought it would be just peachy to get a look at the Uchiha in a towel, if not naked. Naruto had just entered the shower room with Sasuke when girls came sneaking around the corner with a camera. After Sasuke caught the girls, and thoroughly scared the shit out of the entire female demographic in the building, Naruto decided to let Sasuke take a shower first so that he could keep watch out for fans and Sasuke would provide the same courtesy.

"Ya, ok." Naruto headed to the shower but then the door to the locker room opened. The voice of Shizune, their boss's personal secretary, followed.

"Naruto, Sasuke? When you're done, head to Tsunade's office."

"Ya."

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"Come in!" Tsunade called upon hearing a knock at the door.

"You asked for us?" The stoic brunet and the blonde walked in and sat in front of the massive desk.

"Yes. I have another mission for you two. But you won't start for a couple days; you guys will have a break until Thursday."

"Well, what's the mission about, old hag?" Naruto smirk as he leaned back on his chair.

"You keep up that mouth of yours and I'll assign you to clean up duty." This was a usual conversation between the woman and Naruto. Even though Tsunade didn't look like it, she really did care deeply for Naruto. He was just as obstinate and ambitious as her younger brother was.

"You'll get specifics when you return."

"Whatever." Sasuke rose to get up.

"You two have real attitude problems. So obstinate. Make sure to sign out with Kakashi before you leave. Goodnight."

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**A/N: Sorry i didn't write more. It was meant to be an intro cahpter of sorts. I promise i'll write longer chapters in the future. Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hiya! Here's the next chap. God, it's hard trying to write two stories at the same time. But once this weekend is over, i'll be good to go. I have an A.P test tomorrow and i'm going to an anime con. Look forward to the chapters getting jucier from now on.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything in it.**

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Chap.2

Sun streamed into Naruto's 5th floor apartment, bathing everything with a warm, orange glow. It was already mid-afternoon by the time the blonde woke up for his day. SSA missions were always at night and thus all employees had a warped schedule. Though, after several years of the same routine, Naruto had no problems with his nocturnal habits. Squeezing his eyes together; hating bitterly the sun that woke him from his comfortable slumber, much like the beasts he hunted; Naruto sort of oozed out of bed lazily and pooled onto the floor. He sat up on his butt and rubbed the sleep away.

'_Hm...oh…what day is it_?' The blonde glanced groggily at the fox calendar on the nightstand which stated it was Wednesday. '_One more day of rest…darn.' _

Across town, in the classy business district, a brunet was already up and perfectly awake. Sasuke was getting a morning (well, actually mid-afternoon) workout with an hour of kickboxing in his apartment, which was on the top floor of the ritziest apartment building in all of Konoha. Sweat beaded on his pale skin, soaking his long black bangs, and glistened in the fading sun. Having finished his workout, Sasuke headed to his enormous bathroom the take a shower. The brunet couldn't stand being less than perfect and this applied to everything in his life. His clothes were always well thought out and handsome, he was well groomed and ate well '_None of that crap Naruto stuffs in his face_.', and he always stayed in shape. Sasuke stepped into the shower after stripping off his clothes and turned the water on.

Hot, muscle relaxing water rained down, easing away all tension. The bathroom quickly filled with steam, covering every cold surface with condensation, including the mirror. Sasuke, though, didn't care too much about seeing his body in the mirror. Every time he saw the small, nearly invisible scar on his side he was reminded of past events he didn't care to dwell on. The lack of photos in the apartment helped accentuate the need to forget the past.

Sasuke had been orphaned at the age of 9 due to the violent murder of his entire family, minus the murderer himself, Sasuke's brother Itachi. This event was also the reason Sasuke had been hell bent on joining the SSA for Itachi had become one of the beasts that Sasuke now hunts to kill. The night before the murder of the Uchiha family, Itachi had been turned into a vampire. He then proceeded to test out his new found strength on his family. Oddly enough, Itachi had left Sasuke with only the small scar on his side before telling him to live with hate and seek revenge. This was something Sasuke was only to happy to fulfill. The second Sasuke was old enough to join SSA, he began training and dove head first into his work. The brunet swore to become strong enough to kill his brother and to stop every other monster on his way.

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The sun set in a marvelous blaze of red light over the sea that Konoha was situated on. Naruto left his apartment to meet up with a few of his friends, including Sasuke, at a café before they would head out clubbing. Many people thought it strange that two seemingly opposite people would be partners or even friends. Naruto, though, knew that he and Sasuke were more alike than others would believe. The blonde had also lost his parents, to a car accident, but he had been too young to remember them very well, just brief flashes of faces. He could sympathize with Sasuke's loneliness and they became sort of brotherly rivals. Always competing, striving to be better, stronger, the two would bicker all the time, but they still were close. Naruto had actually known Sasuke from elementary school, even before Sasuke's family died, but they weren't close then. In fact, Sasuke was pretty cold to the little blonde as was everyone else who knew Naruto. All the fox-boy ever wanted was to be noticed, cared for; he even wanted to be like Sasuke, the best and brightest student at school and be his friend. It wasn't until they were both competing to get into SSA that they began to learn more about each other. Once in, the two were made partners and they formed a very strong friendship, akin to brotherhood, if not a little plutonic.

Naruto entered the festive café and spotted his friends in the back, monopolizing the couches. A girl his age with pink hair turned around and waved at him. Naruto had had a crush on this pink haired beauty, Sakura, since grade school but those feelings had subsided after he entered SSA. Sakura, though, had and still has a major crush a Sasuke, as did the entire girl populace of Konoha, this annoyed the crap out of Naruto. Sure Sasuke was the most eligible bachelor in the metropolis and was completely perfect but Naruto was still rather good looking. His blonde hair always shone like the sun was constantly on it, his face had matured from the rounded one of his youth and was complemented with brilliant blue eyes, and he was fairly tall with a muscular and toned body. This had not been overlooked. One of the group, a female with medium brunet hair and pale eyes, Hinata Hyuuga, was blushing furiously with the arrival of Naruto. For years Hinata would freak out with the presence of the blonde but he was too naïve to realize her crush. That wasn't the case now. Sasuke had told Naruto about Hinata's feelings, Sasuke was going crazy over the fact that Naruto had never noticed, and Naruto was pleasantly surprised. Though he didn't love Hinata, he thought of her as just a good friend, Naruto took to freaking out Hinata every now and then.

Walking over to couches, Naruto greeted everyone before stepping behind the seated Hinata. He leaned over and whispered huskily into Hinata's ear.

"Hey there, having fun?" A foxy grin, laced with a small evil smile, plastered itself to Naruto. Hinata jumped with a small 'eep' noise before a mad blush appeared.

"Let's go already. We've been here for a half an hour." Sasuke stood and straightened out his clothes. The raven-haired male was wearing black dress pants with a loose white silk dress shirt with the first few buttons undone under a black blazer. Sasuke eyed Naruto's fashion choice. The blonde wore a cream, ribbed, tight sweater with long sleeves. An opened zipper came down from the side of the mid-neck collar to side of his chest revealing a black choker. He also wore black leather pants with black boots and a thin black belt wrapped a couple times around Naruto's waist over the bottom of the sweater.

Naruto noticed Sasuke's scrutinizing look.

"What? It's a clubbing outfit. Gotta look good don't I?" He threw another trademark fox grin.

"Whatever." Sasuke remained ever stoic.

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Naruto slumped into his apartment at 3:00 am. He and his friends had hit several clubs that night and he couldn't wait to get some sleep. As the blonde stepped in the doorway, he slipped rather ungracefully on an unidentified object. It wasn't until he was on the floor that Naruto noticed the cause of his fall. A manila envelope that was thoroughly stuffed was lying innocently before him. Getting up, Naruto picked up the file and read the red lettering across it, 'SECRET CASE'. The blonde opened up the file and scanned through it and realized it was the new case he was assigned to.

RINNNG….RRRinggggg…

Naruto perked up at the sound and went to the kitchen to pick the phone. His partner's deep voice echoed from the other end.

"Did you read the case yet?"

"No, I just opened it. Is it any good?"

"Are you kidding me? Just look in the file. It's the serial killer that everyone has been up at arms about at work. This vampire is top class." This information excited Naruto.

"Why would Tsunade give us such a top case? Why not Kakashi or one of the other elites?"

"How should I know? Just except it. I mean, if we get this guy, you and I'll surely be promoted to elite class."

"Ohhhh. Ok. Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then. Goodnight."

"Ya……read the file."

-click-

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"Hey! I heard you guys got a juicy one this time! How bout you let me in on the case to?" Naruto was bombarded by his fellow employee, Kiba, the second he walked into the SSA building.

"Like hell! If Sasuke and I bag this one, we're sure to get recognized. Why would I want to share the glory with you?" Naruto raised his eyebrow jokingly.

"Hey. About time you got in. Did you study the case file?" A deep voice echoed from behind the two.

"Oh, Hey Sasuke. Ummm…ya, I read it."

"Righhtttttt. What does the vampire we're going after look like?"

"Ummmm…..he's pale?...with dark hair….?"

"That was the most stupid generalization I have ever heard. But you lucked out. The guy is very pale, has long black hair, and gold eyes. I guess he kind of resembles a snake."

"Oh. What's his name?"

"Orochimaru."

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**A/N: How was that? Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey there. Sorry i haven't updated in a bit. Here is the next chapter. I like this one a lot. Hope you like it too. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything in it.**

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Chap.3 

The two vampire hunters stepped out of the grand SSA headquarters and onto the midnight black streets of Konoha Metropolis. The brunet and blonde males wore matching black outfits that were reinforced for greater strength and protection. The jacket and pants were made of tough leather and accentuated the muscular bodies of the two men. Belts and several hidden pockets meant for carrying various weapons used to kill creatures of the night adorned the partners' waists.

"We'll head toward the Tokoto district first; it said in the report that Orochimaru has been seen there on several occasions. You should head down all the alleys and I'll stay hidden and keep watch. If that turns up nothing, then we'll check out the clubs near by. "OK, Naruto?"

"Ya, ok Sasuke." The blonde replied to his brunet partner.

They raced along the roof tops, ready to begin their mission. The lights of the never sleeping Tokoto district loomed ahead. The Tokoto district, or the 'TD' as the youth of the city called it, was filled with all kinds of clubs, bars, and hip restaurants which attracted partiers and vampires alike.

"Let's start our search here." Sasuke positioned himself above an alley while Naruto jumped down as commanded into it. Looking out the alley, Naruto could see swarms of people crowded around the outside of the newest club, 'Ninja'.

After searching countless alleys, Naruto gave up and checked up with Sasuke.

"God, I haven't seen anything. Not even a single vampire. Do you suppose they're inside one of the clubs? I saw that 'Ninja' just opened. We could look in there."

"Ya. Ok. Let's do that."

The blonde and brunet walked to the front of the formidable entry line into _Ninja. _The bouncer immediately let them in, much to the crowd's displeasure. The SSA made a point of getting in good with all the important people to allow for more efficient missions. Once inside, Sasuke and Naruto split up and perused the dance floor. The constantly changing lights and ear shatteringly load music made concentrating extremely hard. The brunet was beginning to become very annoyed due to the fact that every female he went by tried to hit on him or dance with him. Naruto noticed this but only laughed at his pissed friend.

"Naruto! I want to leave!" Another female in a tight dress pressed up against Sasuke. "NOW!"

-laugh- "Alright"

Naruto made his way through the thick crowd to his accosted partner but something in the corner of the club caught his eye.

"Sasuke. Over there." Naruto pointed toward to corner of the club were several shady looking patrons were seated. One person among the group stood out the most. It was a tall, pale, black haired man. He looked fairly young but very intimidating. Gold eyes gleamed and an evil smirk formed on his face when the vampire noticed the SSA members. Sasuke and Naruto raced after the vampire, Orochimaru, when he got up and exited through a back door. The sounds of the club faded away as the two hunters raced through the alley behind the club. Orochimaru could be seen up ahead at the end of the alley where he disappeared around the corner slowly. He almost seemed to be luring the blonde and brunet.

"Naruto, head down the street after him. I'll follow along the roofs." Sasuke disappeared atop the buildings and Naruto continued around the corner after the vampire target.

Once on the abandoned street, there was no one to be seen. The blonde stalked slowly across the street. A quiet and deep laughing echoed through the street. The haunting noise mocked the blonde hunter as he searched for any clue to as where Orochimaru might be. Deciding to head down the next alleyway, Naruto pulled out his gun. The bullets were packed with concentrated garlic enzymes which would cause a terrible allergic reaction in any vampire. Contrary to some beliefs, vampires couldn't turn into large beasts or bats.

Vampirism, in Naruto's belief, could be equated to a human mutation. Vampires had severe allergies to garlic and UV light. Their strength could be attributed to the increase in oxygen flow through the body, allowing for greater muscle stamina and speed. The retaining of youthful looks was also explainable. Vampires' cellular systems regenerated quickly and continuouslyas where human cells gradually slow down their reproduction, which causes old age and eventually death. And of coarse a stake to the heart would kill a vampire; it'd kill any living thing.

Naruto peeked into the dark alley. Nothing stirred. Slowly, the blonde maneuvered into the alley, gun ready to take out any and all intruders. Suddenly and dark figure stepped into sight. Orochimaru's skin glowed pale in the night, and his eyes shone golden in evil mirth. Naruto froze. Something didn't feel right. For some reason, Naruto could help shaking; fear, something that Naruto rarely felt, rose up. _'Why can't I do anything? What is this feeling! Something feels terribly wrong.'_ While the blonde stayed frozen, Orochimaru moved in slowly.

"My, my. What a cute little boy. Don't you think this job is a bit big for you?" The vampire closed the space between the two and took the gun out of the frightened blonde's hand. Naruto could only stare at the vampire as the icy, slithering voice filled the entirety of the alley. The hunter crumpled to the ground, gasping for breath after Orochimaru brought a fist straight into his abdomen. The pain was terrible, several ribs felt broken as Naruto kneeled hunched over the ground desperately trying to breath. The vampire's strength had done more damage than a mere human could have.

"Maybe I should kill you now; or, would you rather I play around with you a bit?" Orochimaru bent down and lifted the blonde's chin.

"Naruto!" The vampire quickly jumped back as a hale of bullets rained down from the top of the building. Sasuke landed next to his beaten partner. "Are you ok?" Concern washed over the brunet as he saw the state of his partner. Sasuke turned toward the offending vampire. Hate filled the Uchiha's eyes as he reloaded his gun.

"Well, so there was another hunter. I was wondering when you would show up. It's funny, but you remind me of a certain someone, though I can't quite place my finger on it." The evil smirk returned.

"Shut up. I can't stand hearing your voice. It makes me sick." With this, the brunet let loose a round of bullets on the vampire. Disappointingly, Orochimaru was already gone.

'_Damn vampire speed.'_ A presence behind Sasuke alarmed him. Turning around, the Uchiha threw a punch but his hand was stopped by another hand. He then tried a round house kick but that too was blocked.

"My, you are a feisty one. I think I could have some fun with you." Orochimaru chuckled.

Naruto looked on as his partner fought with the vampire. All of Sasuke's attempts at landing a hit on the beast failed. And worst of all, Orochimaru had landed a few hits on Sasuke himself. In one swift move the vampire was directly behind the brunet. He placed his hands roughly on Sasuke's shoulders and pinned down his arms. Sasuke's eyes widened in pain and surprise as Orochimaru plunged his teeth into the Uchiha's pale and tender neck. No noise escaped Sasuke's mouth and his eyes began to become lightless. Naruto was in just as much shock, watching his partner being drained.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

Naruto drew up all his strength and rushed at the vampire. His attempt was futile as he was easily knocked away by a quick hand. He fell to the ground once again and tears of frustration filled his blue eyes. Sasuke was completely white now and could barely stand up on his own. The only thing holding the Uchiha up were the teeth in his neck and the hands pinning his arms to his side. Sasuke's vision was going dark as he looked at his pummeled friend who had tears streaming down his face.

'_N..Naru..to,_ p_..please don't..cry.'_

The last thing Naruto could remember seeing was Sasuke collapsing limply into Orochimaru's hands. '_Please...don't take him...away from...me.'_

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**A/N: How was it? Please review. ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey. I really like this next chapter. Hope you like it too!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything in it.**

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Chap.4

Rain fell dismally as Naruto stared out his window. The weather matched his mood perfectly; shitty and not a ray of hope in sight. A week had past since Sasuke's death. Though the brunet's body hadn't actually been found, it could only be assumed. Orochimaru was a very vindictive vampire and if he thought he could hurt the SSA in anyway, he would; this would be done quite effectively by killing Sasuke. Also, the chance of a vampire attempting a turning of his victim was slim to none.

Vampires only turned their prey if they're really desperate for someone to be with or they have some ulterior motive; either way, a turning was possibly life threatening for the vampire who does the turning and the turnee themselves. The victim would have to drink some of the vampire's blood, which severely weakens the vampire, and the victim himself stands only a 40 chance of living. Once turned, the original vampire will have to worry about their creation trying to kill them. Newly made vampires have no inhibitions and are curious about their powers; they wouldn't hesitate for a second in feeding on the first thing they saw.

The whole of SSA was in just as melancholy moods. Sakura, who had known Naruto and Sasuke since childhood and had trained with them under Kakashi's leadership, broke down crying and started shaking violently when she heard the news. She was so weak after her bout that she had to miss a couple days of work. Kakashi was even noticeably upset. One of his only three students had died and Kakashi felt partially responsible for Sasuke's death. Everyone else at SSA expressed their deepest regrets to Naruto. If they weren't gushing about how sorry they were, they were looking at Naruto as if he were a time bomb and had to be watched in case he tried something drastic like killing himself. But, no one could really understand how Naruto felt. The blonde and brunet were practically brothers, they had gone through a lot of similar stuff and they were also rivals. Maybe Kakashi and Sakura understood a little but everyone else couldn't ever begin to fathom how terrible he felt.

It was Kakashi who had come upon Naruto in the alley. The silver haired elite had noticed that the two boys hadn't checked in for over an hour and so he decided to go search for them. When he saw an unconscious Naruto on the ground, lots of blood, and no Sasuke to be seen, he called for a recon team.

Flashback

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"…..e doing?"

"….know after the meds wear off."

'_Who's talking? Where am I?' _A groggy Naruto wondered. He hadn't opened his eyes yet but had the feeling that something wasn't quite right.

"Ah…god, where am I?" The blonde finally opened his crystal blue eyes and saw a nurse and Kakashi.

"You're awake." The nurse spoke.

"Can you tell us what happened last night? I…ah…need to know." The silver haired man looked sadly down at his pupil.

'_What happened? God, what did I do last night? There's something that he's not telling me. Something to do with a mission and…'_

"WHERE'S SASUKE! IS HE ALRIGHT? DID YOU GET OROCHIMARU?"

Naruto noticed Kakashi avert his eyes quickly before sighing and looking back at him glumly.

"Um…Naruto, Sasuke wasn't with you when we found you. We…ah…believe..."

'_This can't be. This isn't true...'_

"…he's dead."

"YOU'RE LYING! He's fine! He has to be! He wouldn't do this to me; he wouldn't do this to himself!" Tears streamed down Naruto's face as he screamed trying to convince himself. "He –sob- he can't…do this to me."

"I…I'm sorry Naruto. We searched everywhere. There's no way that Orochimaru would keep him alive."

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End flashback

Naruto had been in his room for the past week curled up in the fetal position, clutching the blankets for dear life. He didn't care to eat or even get out in the sun. The world could rot in hell for all he cared.

-knock-knock-

"Go Away!" Naruto didn't feel like talking to anyone for the rest of his life. No one knew how he felt.

"…naruto?" A subdued voice came from outside his bedroom door. "Can I come in?"

Without getting an answer, Sakura tentatively opened the door and slowly slide into the completely dark room. The pink haired girl's eyes were a faded green, not like the vibrant sea foam ones she used to have. Seeing the blonde boy wrapped up tightly in bed made her heart ache. Just looking at Naruto reminded her of Sasuke.

"What?" Naruto's toned hurt Sakura. Never before had Naruto ever raised his voice to the girl. Sakura always knew that Naruto had liked her; she had even used that at times in order to get closer to Sasuke. Since graduating from high school, though, Naruto had gotten over his childhood crush, whereas Sakura had kept her crush on Sasuke. But now, the thing before her was just a shell, a form of a boy totally drunk on his own misery. Naruto would never act like this and it made Sakura want to cry.

"I…wanted to know if you needed anything. Food? A bath?"

"Leave me alone." Naruto rolled over and faced the opposite wall.

"You need to talk about this. It's not healthy to just stay holed up in here. Sasuke wouldn't want this"

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU KNOW ABOUT ME, HUH! All you ever did was hang around and gush over Sasuke. Was he even a person to you? You know NOTHING about Sasuke!"

Sakura had had enough. She jumped onto the bed and buried her head into Naruto's blanketed shoulder. Tears rolled down her face and soaked into the fabric. Her words were laced with compassion as she tried to bring back the old Naruto.

"Naruto, I care about you! I care about Sasuke! –sob- Weren't we all friends? Aren't I hurt too by this situation? You're not alone in this. You're not the only one hurting inside." Warm tears began to subside as the pink haired girl's sadness turned to annoyance and anger. She picked her head off of Naruto's wet shoulder.

"If you want to stew in self pity and regret, then so be it! But don't you dare say that I don't understand! Don't you dare think that others don't feel the same way. If Sasuke saw you like this, he'd never stop nagging you. Only the weak dwell on the past. Once you get off this misery wallowing of yours, then call me. You don't look to good." This last statement was a last bit of caring before Sakura left the apartment.

After a few minuets of motionlessness, Naruto, defeated, rolled out of bed, dragging the bed sheets with him, and lurked into the living room. This was as far as he'd go. A little sun couldn't be all that bad.

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Over the next week, Naruto gradually came out of his vegtabolic state. Though certainly not close to normal, the blonde was returning to his everyday life. He still wasn't ready to go back to work, but his co-workers could wait.

A few days after the incident with Sakura, Naruto called and apologized. She gladly forgave him, seeing it as a sign of Naruto moving on with his life.

"Hey, Naruto. What do you want for dinner?" The pink haired Sakura was over at Naruto's house, after a marathon grocery shopping spree. She didn't trust Naruto to eat healthily, being that the only thing he ate was ramen and that couldn't be good; a hunter had to stay fit after all.

"Ramen."

"Like hell I'd make that for you! It's not good for you and besides, I didn't buy any."

"YOU DIDN'T?"

"Calm down. I'll make you something much better. How 'bout chicken and rice? I'm a really good cook."

"Fine," sighed the defeated blonde. '_Stupid normal food.'_

After dinner, Sakura cleaned up the dishes as Naruto lounged on the couch.

"Hey…um, when do you think that…ah…you'll come back to work? We all really miss you, especially Tsunade."

"I…I don't know. All I know is that once I'm back, I'll hunt down that ass-hole Orochimaru and pop one right in his pretty little face. That'll show him." Naruto began squeezing one of the couch cushions like it was the vampire's head. Sakura, alarmed by Naruto's sudden darkness, decidedly changed the subject.

"Well, I put the rest of the food in the frig and wrapped it up. There'll be enough for several days, so don't go eating junk all the time, ok?" She walked over to the blonde and placed a small, quick kiss on his forehead.

"I see you later. Please feel better soon. I want my old Naruto back."

With that, the girl left the apartment with a wave.

Naruto sat alone once again in his quiet commode. The sun has gone down already and the blonde began to feel tired.

'_Maybe I'll go back next week. I guess I could handle a few missions to get me warmed up.'_

The blonde got up from the plush couch and headed to his room.

'_Now that he's gone, I'll have to find a new partner. Though no one will be as good as him._' "Stupid Sasuke."

"Humf. I'm gone for a couple weeks and you start hating me already." A cool, calm, deep, and VERY familiar voice sent shock waves racing up Naruto's spine. The blonde stayed rooted to the floor, not turning around just yet.

"Who are you and what do you want? If this is some kind of a joke then it isn't funny in the least."

"My, aren't you cynical? I'd hope that my best friend would recognize my voice after so many years together. But, I guess you really are a dobe."

"I swear to god, when I turn around, you better be Kiba or someone else playing a very cruel trick or I might just die."

"Well? Go ahead, but I don't recommend dieing, it's not all it's cracked up to be."

Naruto turned around, his eyes closed. What could it hurt, just looking? His heart?

"Aren't you going to open your eyes? You can't die unless you look."

"J..just a minuet."

Naruto could feel the presence getting closer. A presence that was both familiar and different. It was colder now, not cruel but not as warm as it used to be. He felt arms envelope him, embracing him earnestly.

"I'm sorry…if…if I hurt you."

Tears were now streaming down the blonde's face, his eyes still closed.

"D..don't say it. I know you didn't mean too." The tears were pouring out now and Naruto could help but cry out; he wrapped his arms around the familiar presence and squeezes tightly.

"I…I thought you were gone forever! I felt like dieing from the grief! I…I can't believe you're back,…Sasuke."

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**A/N: Please Review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey there! This is the longest chapter i have writen so far! I hope you like it. I do.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

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TNF5

Flashback

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Blurry images rushed past Sasuke. Faint memories of yelling and pleading filled his head. He knew that he was currently being carried somewhere but the brunet didn't have enough strength to fathom his immediate state, so he settled for falling unconscious.

Ebony eyes slowly opened with some trouble. Pain and an overwhelming feeling of coldness fell over the brunet. The pain originated from his pale neck, where, oddly enough, the skin felt like it was burning but that sensation grew icier over the rest of his body. Sasuke could barely comprehend that he was lying on something very comfortable; a bed? His vision was hazy and he couldn't focus on anything too well.

'_W..where am I?'_

The Uchiha painfully turned his head to the side, breathing heavily, trying to get a picture of the room. Sasuke had a vague understanding of why he was there but couldn't help but wish that he was having an extremely bad dream; that he would wake up and find Naruto stupidly grinning at him.

"n…naruto." The brunet whispered in recollection. His strength seemed to be wavering with each moment of consciousness. To keep his mind off death and the overwhelming urge to just fall asleep, Sasuke returned to examining the room.

Surprisingly, the room was completely decked in white. The large, plush bed, on which the Uchiha rested, had silky white sheets and pillows. Weightless white fabric was draped on the walls and small white candles were placed all over the room. The only thing that seemed normal for this kind of room was that there were no windows.

'god, someone needs to hire a new decorator. i feel like I'm in a sacrificial chamber. some kind of vampire hideout.' It surprised Sasuke that he could be cynical at a time like this, so close to his own death.

Light, decisive footsteps echoed through a hall behind one of the doors leading into the white room. The sounds stopped just behind the door to Sasuke's right. The now open door revealed the brunet's captor.

"My, you're still alive. You really are strong. But I don't think you'll live for much longer." The long, dark haired vampire moved gracefully over to the bed, reaching out to brush the hair off his captive's face.

"You know, I could stop all of this. All you would have to do is agree to be my apprentice and I could save you."

Though Orochimaru didn't show it, he desperately hoped that the Uchiha would agree to his proposal. The vampire had been searching for someone strong enough to make a decent vampire and this male seemed plenty qualified.

Seeing that the Uchiha made no objections, Orochimaru bit his wrist to draw forth blood. Red droplets began to trickle down his slender hand as he brought his arm to the mouth of the brunet.

"Drink. It may not seem too appealing yet but it will. I do warn you, though, dieing will be quite painful. But we all have to go through it to become what we are; those who have departed their mortal soul but still walk among the living."

Many thoughts raced through Sasuke's head. His mind screamed not to become one of the undead; one damned to live forever and alone, those the SSA hunted because they prayed on the innocent. But, also, his heart told him that it was the only way to live, even if his body technically was dead, and try to salvage as normal life as possible. And most of all to hunt down his brother, the one who didn't give their family a choice of life or death.

'_Maybe this is a good thing. I would become so much stronger. I'd be able to fight on Itachi's level and protect those who are close to me. ….Forgive me….Naruto…..'_

'…_Is wanting to see him just one last time, so bad?'_

With this last thought, Sasuke didn't turn back. He allowed the loathsome demon to bring his bleeding wrist closer. Gingerly, Sasuke took the vampire's hand and placed his lips to the crimson fluid. Metallic flavors filled the Uchiha's mouth, causing an unfamiliar burning feeling to sweep through him. Orochimaru hissed lightly as Sasuke began drinking his blood. He sat down on the bed and lifted the brunet against him in a sitting position so that Sasuke could better lap up the blood. Sasuke took Orochimaru's wrist in his hands, feeling his strength return with each swallow. After a few moments of drinking, Sasuke's taste for the blood grew. Now, the brunet even hungered for more of the vampire's blood. A surge of power and strength waved over him as he felt his teeth get longer. Biting down into Orochimaru's arm, Sasuke couldn't stop the urge to keep feeding. This did not go unnoticed by the vampire. Upon feeling teeth penetrate his skin, Orochimaru decided to stop his new apprentice before the brunet drained him of all his blood.

"You must stop now. You've already had enough."

A deep and animalistic growl rose from the feeding youth.

"I'll stop when I feel like." Sasuke looked up at the vampire with an evil, hunger filled smile.

Orochimaru noticed that the brunet's once ebony eyes had gone crimson with two black bots circling his pupils. Orochimaru's skin prickled from fear. This wasn't the same, dieing young man. This 'thing' was a killing machine and would suck his own creator dry.

Deciding to stop Sasuke's drinking, the vampire tried to yank his arm back but the brunet held on tightly.

"I told you to stop!" Orochimaru was angry now. Bring down his mobile arm; he hit the brunet across the head. Sasuke fell to the bed, but regained his composure. He sat up in mock innocence, staring evilly at his 'master'; blood, that of Orochimaru, sensually trickling from Sasuke's pale skin.

"Why master, I'm shocked, you'd hit your only apprentice?" He smirked darkly. Orochimaru backed up when Sasuke made a move to get off the bed but stopped as a strange look overcame the brunet. Sasuke raised a trembling hand to his neck. Suddenly, the Uchiha was curled on the bed, writhing in agony. Sasuke screamed as he felt burning spread across his whole body. The pain alone made him want to kill himself right then and there,

'_So this is what it's like to die?' _

Sasuke gasped in pain; he felt immeasurably sick and wished for it all to end. Tears mixed in with his screams. All the while, Orochimaru watched the brunet die. Once the vampire was sure the process was almost done, for Sasuke had stopped screaming and was now silently convulsing and twitching, he left the room locking the door behind him. Alone, Sasuke fell into a restless sleep, like that of the dead which he was now apart of.

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'_W...why do I feel so…different?' _

The now conscious Sasuke wondered. Images of blood and crimson rushed to the front of the Uchiha's mind. He jerked awake with a start. The brunet sat forward in the bed as memories of the previous night's occurrences came back. Sasuke looked at his hands and noticed that his skin was paler than before (if that was possible) and that his hands were very cold. He could feel his heart beat rhythmically and with a renewed strength.

'_Well, I'm definitely not dead per se.' _

He was very aware of the sound of blood rushing through his body and his own steady breath. He could also hear the faint tune of some musical instrument from deep within the vampire lair.

'_Maybe I'll go check this place and my new powers out.'_

He lifted himself effortlessly out of the bed and onto the cold tiled floor. Sasuke found that he could move very quietly and quickly. His new speed enthralled the Uchiha. He felt like he could race through the entire city of Konoha in a minute. His eyes were also quicker. He could see every movement, even the minutest twitch of a fly. Every move Sasuke made was effortless and mind-bogglingly easy. Finally deciding to check out the rest of the hideout, the brunet reached for the door he had seen Orochimaru leave through and found it to be unlocked. Entering the expansive hall, the sound of music became clearer. Sasuke walked slowly, taking in all his surroundings in their new light. Everything seemed different to the Uchiha; smells were stronger, sounds more clairvoyant, and his sense of touch was amplified ten fold. Once reaching the end of the hall, a large marble ballroom appeared. At the far side of the dance hall was a grand, black piano from whence the music came. Sasuke glided over to the instrument and saw who the pianist was; Orochimaru.

A dark, slithering voice resounded. "I see you're awake. Feel any different?"

"..hn."

"My, aren't you grateful." It was a sarcastic remark. "Come sit." Orochimaru patted the piano bench on which he sat.

Sasuke obliged and sat down next to the older vampire.

"I want to go home now."

-deep chuckle- "I afraid that's not possible. You agreed to a contract; I turn you into a vampire and you stay here and be my apprentice."

"Well, I guess I'll have to break that promise, good bye." Sasuke never had any intension of staying with this obviously crazy demon. He just agreed so he could 'live'. The brunet stood up and proceeded to walk away form the now furious Orochimaru.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" The older vampire was up now and grabbed a hold of the new vampire's slender arm.

Sasuke looked down at the offending hand unappreciatively.

"Don't you DARE touch me!" Sasuke back fisted Orochimaru much like the older vampire had done the night before. With his new strength, Sasuke was able to send Orochimaru stumbling back.

"I..I had hoped I wouldn't have to resort to this but I guess I have no choice now." Orochimaru hissed through his pain.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke wasn't too afraid of any threat the tall man could make, what was he going to do, kill him?

"I thought this up in case you tried to retaliate. I'll just have to take away some things of yours, then you might see it my way."

"….."

"Hmmm….what is most precious to you…? I know…how 'bout I find that cute little partner of yours? If I killed him, would that make you more apt to stay?"

Sasuke was stunned. He hadn't thought about what or if any consequence would affect Naruto.

"No,…but you would succeed in pissing me off very severely. If you touch even a hair on his head, I swear I'll tear up that face of yours and leave you horribly disfigured for eternity. And I wouldn't just stop there."

"We'll just have to see about that." Orochimaru spun around and made for the exit, but Sasuke was already in front of him. "I see you've learned to use your powers."

"That's not all I can do."

Sasuke thrust his hand forward and tightened it around Orochimaru's throat. The older vampire was stunned to say the least. His creation was far more powerful than he had imagined. Before Orochimaru had a chance to counter, Sasuke brought out a gun, the SSA one issued to him, and shot the vampire straight in the heart.

"You shouldn't be so stupid as to leave a vampire hunter with his weapons, especially right after you killed him."

Sasuke watched as the elder vampire withered under the potent garlic enzyme bullet. Orochimaru's skin began to blacken as he started to crumble away into the ash he should have been decades ago. The look of pain, betrayal, and shock remained on the vampire's face.

"..h..how could…you kill your own kind?" The last words of the terrible vampire were barely whispered.

"…I'm nothing like you." Sasuke turned around and left the pile of ash in the middle of the ballroom. He had much more important matters at hand.

'…_Naruto.'_

Sasuke walked out the front door of the vampire mansion without a backwards glance.

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**A/N: How was it? Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey! Sorry i haven't updated in a bit. And sadly, I probably won't get out another chap for this for a couple weeks cause i'm going on a trip to Europe (yay for me!). I'll be back on june 29th. I may or may not get out another chap out before i leave. Well, anyway, i hope this chap is to your liking. :) If you like this story, I have two more stories about NaruSasu, check em out if ya like. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything in it.**

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Chap.6

Naruto sat, sniffling, on his couch, staring at his supposedly dead partner, who was leaning against the wall in front of him.

"Well,…aren't you going to say something or are you just going to keep staring at me?" The brunet's deep voice filled the air.

"I…I'm just trying to calm down, you know, it's kind of hard to believe that you're really here. I..I'm just so…happy." Tears were spilling out the blonde's eyes once again.

"Man, you're not crying again are you? You're such a dobe." Sasuke stopped leaning again the wall and moved toward his teary friend.

"I..-hiccup- ..I'm not crying, you bastard." Naruto looked up, like a pouting child, at Sasuke, who was now standing right in front of him, smirking due to the familiar banter they shared. A pale hand reached out, gently brushing against the puffy, red, tear soaked skin on Naruto's face. Sasuke couldn't help but think that the blonde's red, sniffly nose and tear swollen face were absolutely adorable. He couldn't tell when it had started, but Sasuke new that he had feelings for his loud mouthed, hyperactive partner, feelings that were far more than that of simple friendship.

"Naruto,…I..ah..I mean,..you do know that I'm a vampire now, right?" Sasuke wouldn't put it past Naruto to be that completely naïve and dense.

The blonde looked up at the raven-haired youth. His blue eyes studied his partner's form carefully. Sasuke's skin was paler than it had been, his eyes seemed more piercingly black, and whenever he opened his mouth, elongated white K9s were visible. Also, when the two had hugged, Naruto could feel that lack of warmth in the brunet's skin.

"Ya,…I figured as much. But…that doesn't matter. All that matters is that you're back." The tears stopped rolling out his blue eyes as the blonde smiled. Sasuke sat down on the couch next to Naruto.

"You can't tell anyone."

"Wha…what can't I tell?" Naruto stared quizzically at the form lounging next to him.

"You can't tell anyone we know that I'm 'alive'."

"B..but why not?" the blonde sputtered, "Aren't you going to come back to work; you know, be my partner again? And I can't just let everyone keep on grieving."

"I'm dead. And if SSA found out that I'm a vampire, they'd have to kill me too."

"They…they wouldn't kill you. We only kill those that kill people…… you didn't eat anyone, did you?" Naruto's eyes widened in possible horror.

"No." Sasuke statedcurtly,noticing the blonde release a deep sigh of relief.

"Say, what are you going to do for food anyway? You can't just go and kill people and you can't survive very long on animals." All hunters were taught that vampires drink human blood because it contains a specific type of hemoglobin that can't be found in animals. So, a vampire can only sustain itself on animals for a limited amount of time before it starves to death.

"I guess…if it isn't totally obscene… I could take little drinks from more people instead of one drink from one person, that way I wouldn't kill anyone."

Naruto was quiet for awhile.

"I..I guess that'd be ok. If you only took a little from each person, and made sure that they wouldn't die, I don't see any alternative."

The Uchiha leaned back on the couch as a silence fell over the two. Naruto felt an uncharacteristic nervousness spread over his stomach.

'_Why do I feel so nervous? This is Sasuke. I've never been nervous around him. Sure he changed a bit, but nothing really important.'_

Naruto looked back at Sasuke to find the brunet staring at him. The blonde turned away quickly, a faint blush spread across him cheeks.

"W…why don't I go make some tea?" Naruto stuttered and proceeded to get up and walk to the kitchen.

Sasuke noticed Naruto's change in demeanor, hoping that it might mean something. Getting up as well, Sasuke stretched, his arms above his head, pulling his shirt up, revealing a pale stretch of perfectly toned stomach. It wasn't hard to miss the reaction of the blonde. After witnessing this 'accidental' flash of skin, he was sent into a fit of blushing, causing him to duck behind the kitchen counter with a small –eep-. Finding this reaction satisfactory, Sasuke wanted to test his friend some more.

"Why don't I help you with that tea?" A sly smirk formed on the Uchiha's lips as he sauntered into the small kitchen.

"Oh..um, you don't need to do that. I got i…." Naruto turned around to find that Sasuke had made his way into the kitchen. A positively primal and hungry glare shone in his ebony eyes.

"You know, I am getting kind of hungry."

"Ok, what would you li…ohhh……um..you don't mean….ah..i mean…" Naruto began to sweat upon his realization of what Sasuke actually meant. The blonde couldn't pry his eyes away from the coal ones that were getting closer with each beat of his panicking heart. The shorter boy backed up as far as he could go but was stopped by the wrap around counter. Odd feelings were flying through Naruto's stomach, though none of them seemed to be fear.

"If you wouldn't rather," Sasuke's voice has dropped to a sensuously deep tone which made Naruto's skin prickle, "I won't if you don't want me to." He closed the blonde in, placing both arms on the counter on either side of Naruto.

"I…I…," Naruto stared widely into the ebony pools which were dangerously close to his, "..it's fine….g..go ahead." The blonde's stomach felt completely empty as the Uchiha drew nearer. Sasuke's breath on his face sent tingling throughout Naruto's body. The brunet moved to Naruto's neck, breathing in the spicy scent of the blonde. The frantic and rhythmic thumping of Naruto's heart rang clearly in Sasuke's sensitive ears as he got closer to his friend's skin, feeling the heat radiating off the blonde as he lightly brushed his nose and lips on the blonde's neck. Naruto's heart skipped a beat and his breath, which had become very deep, hitched at the new contact. Sasuke brought forth his fangs and sunk them into the tan skin before him. A small moan of pain escaped the blonde's mouth as the vampire drew out warm, scarlet blood. Sasuke wrapped his arms around the boy when the feeling of light headedness began to sweep over Naruto. After a few moments, the pain subsided, leaving Naruto with a sick and fluttering feeling in his stomach due to the unusual predicament he was currently in. Before drinking too much, Sasuke released his bite on the blonde's neck and licked the wound, helping it heal. He maintained his hold on the blonde, feeling that Naruto didn't have the strength to stand on his own. Sasuke proceeded to lift the weak boy, carrying Naruto bridal style to his bed room and placing him on his bed.

The brunet leaned over the shallowly breathing Naruto and whispered.

"Thanks," –smirk-, "sleep tight; I'll be back to check up on you."

Naruto tried to retort but only managed to fall into a heavy sleep; his body electing to recuperate from its anemic state. Sasuke glanced one last time on the sleeping object of his affection before quietly closing the bedroom door.

"goodnight."

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**A/N: Hey! How was it? Please let me know.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry I took so long. Now I'm just being lazy: my procrastinating ways are reemerging (usually they only apply to the school year). Anyway, I hope you like it. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. There is some adult language.**

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Chap.7

"Ahh..oowww, God, I feel like shit." Shaking away the wooziness, Naruto sat up in his bed.

"What happened," Absentmindedly running his hand over his neck, he hit a VERY sore spot, "OWW! Oh, ya…Sasuke."

Images of the brunet holding him, and having his lips pressed to his neck filled his mind causing the blonde to blush madly. Looking over at the clock, he saw that the time was 5:30pm. Normally, Naruto would be heading off to work in an hour and a half.

'_M...Maybe I'll go to work today.' _The thought of all his friends and seeing them all again made the blonde realize how much he actually missed going to work.

Finally deciding to return to SSA, Naruto took a shower and grabbed his bag. Leaving his apartment for the first time in a couple weeks felt good, the evening air and excitement rose the blonde's spirits. Unbeknownst to Naruto, a dark figure followed him the moment he left the apartment.

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The office was abuzz with the news that Naruto had finally returned. People crowded around him welcoming him back, though thankfully no one mentioned anything about Sasuke. A certain pink-haired co-worker had scared the shit out of everyone at the office with threats if anyone so much as hinted anything about Sasuke to Naruto. On his way to Tsunade's office, Naruto saw Sasuke's name carved into memorial wall, flowers littered the entire black monument. Sadness filled the blonde when he remembered that no one else knew that Sasuke was actually 'alive' and that they would continue their mourning, especially Sakura.

Once seated in a plush chair, Naruto looked at his boss, Tsunade. He could tell that she had been very upset by Sasuke's 'passing'.

"Naruto, I'm so happy that you decided to come back. This place just isn't the same without you."

"Careful Tsunade, all that worrying is causing wrinkles." The blonde boy smiled teasingly at the older woman.

"The first day back and you're already smarting off, little brat." A confident smile appearing on the voluptuous blonde woman's face. "Well, enough about that. I'm sure you've already guessed as to what needs addressing." Naruto merely nodded. "Um…well, with your..ah..current lack of a partner, I'll be assigning you a new one."

Naruto knew that this was coming but he hadn't actually thought too much about it.

'_A new partner? Who could possibly replace Sasuke?'_

"Here is the briefing file on your new partner. His name is Sai. I know it will take awhile for you to fully grasp the idea of not working with…ah..Sasuke…but please, try to be as open as possible." Both blondes stared at each other, settling into a comfortable silence.

'_Sai, huh? Never heard of him. How bad could he be?'_

Glancing down at the manila folder in his lap, Naruto pulled out a packet of papers, a photo falling to the floor. The blonde reached for the picture only to be quite shocked at the face the looked up at him. A boy, around twenty years old, stared out emotionlessly. Sai, Naruto assumed that this was a picture of him, had short black hair and deep black eyes. He resembled Sasuke in so many ways, though the blonde knew that Sai could never hold a candle to Sasuke, that Naruto found it quite ironic that this guy would be his new partner.

Tsunade stared on at the blonde, wondering whether he would approve of Sai. She could see him flinch slightly when he first saw the photo. Moving on to the documents in the packet, the blonde hunter's eyes scanned them with slight interest. Stopping abruptly, Naruto's head jerked up quickly.

"What do you mean he's 'socially challenged'? It says here that he's had over seven partners in the past and that all of them found him to be 'rude', 'inconsiderate', and 'lacking in team work'!" Tsunade blanched.

"Well, you see, He wouldn't have what you'd call a 'normal' childhood. Since he was seven years old, he's been trained in various hunter skills, and thus had little interaction with kids his own age. But don't let that alarm you," The older woman then waved her hands at the boy, shooing him out the door, "Oh, and here is your mission, it's an easy one, have fun, don't get into any fights with Sai, and I don't want to hear any of your whining. Bye." With a last quick push out the door, Tsunade closed the door on a severely pissed Naruto.

"You old witch! I hope you die VERY UGLY and OLD LOOKING!" The blonde crossed his arms in a pout, not noticing that all eyes in the office were on him.

"Wow, you handled that very gracefully. I certainly hope you're not the 'Naruto' I'm supposed to be partnered with, that would certainly ruin my entire day. God, you're such a child." Naruto looked up at the figure before him; a very impatient Sai.

"Hey, who the hell do you think you are calling me a child!" The blonde was now pissed. Sai obviously was exactly how the brief described him, much to Naruto's displeasure.

"You, of course. I don't see anyone else pouting like a kid in the hall. Or should I say that you're an idiot?" Sai said all this without the slightest interest. It was as if everything around him, including the blonde before him, wasn't worth his time of effort to acknowledge.

'_No one can make fun of me except for Sasuke!'_

"Listen asshole! I'm not the one who asked for your help! Now, if you want to go and pull that Sequoya out of your ass, then we'll talk, but until then, I suggest you shut your mouth!" A tinge of red had appeared on Naruto's face due to the force he took to yell at the pompous jerk in front of him. Unfortunately, Sai wasn't affected by Naruto's rant, but merely turned around and walked away. This made the blonde even angrier. A hand on his shoulder quickly calmed him down.

"Naruto, don't waste your time on him. Just ignore him and try to complete your mission." A pink haired girl stated soothingly. Upon hearing this, the retreating Sai turned around.

"Oh, and Naruto, try not to go crying back to that ugly pink-haired hag every time your feelings are hurt. It's not very manly." With that, the brunet left.

"Who the HELL does that little BASTARD think he is getting off calling ME ugly? I'm going to rip his fuckin head off!" It took Kiba, Shikamaru, and Choji to hold down the flaming Sakura from beating the shit out of Sai.

"This is going to be a very troublesome partnership." An extremely exasperated Naruto made his way to the locker room.

-------

Two figures jumped form roof to roof in pursuit of a quickly retreating newbie vampire. After coming over a particularly tall building, the two hunters lost site of their prey.

"Shit, where did he go?" The blonde hunter placed his hands on his hips, letting out a sigh.

"Well, we might have had him already if it wasn't for your incompetence." The other hunter, a brunet, accused.

"Wait, my fault! I could have already caught the bastard if I didn't have YOU for a partner. ANYBODY else would have made a better partner, and a more courteous one. I would even take Choji over you, and everybody knows how clumsy he is!" Naruto's face burned with anger.

It had taken Naruto an hour to find his 'partner' and another half hour to get Sai to listen to the mission brief. What made it worse was that every ten minutes, the brunet had to point out how vastly inferior Naruto was. It took all of the blonde's self-control not to pummel Sai whenever he was in arms' reach.

Their mission was to take out a recently born vampire. Several bodies had been found drained rather sloppily, thus it could be deduced that it was a newbie since an older vamp was a much more refined killer. Also, the fang marks matched in each case, so it was indeed the same night crawler.

Movement from the brunet brought Naruto back to reality.

"You know, Naruto, even though I find your hyper demeanor rather annoying, and your completely barbaric flair appalling," Sai moved closer to the blonde, thus causing the blonde to back up just as slowly.

'_Why does this keep happening to me?' _

"I just can't get past how.."

'_God! He better not say what I think he's saying. If that freak comes any closer to me…'_

"…how cute you are." With one final step, the brunet stood directly in front of the blonde.

Naruto was panicking on the inside. Who knew what kind of stuff Sai was capable of? Kidnapping? Rape?...Murder?

Sai leaned in, fully aware of how frightened the other hunter was. Naruto froze when Sai ran a wet tongue over his cheek, causing it to prickle at the unwanted contact.

"Well, better get back to work." The brunet stepped back and jumped to the next build as if he hadn't just licked his blonde partner.

"…h….he…YOU ARE SUCH A FREAK!" Naruto's words echoed through the empty alleys below him. Unheard to the blonde, a soft, deep chuckle rose upon hearing Naruto's words from said alley.

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**A/N: How was it? Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Dude, i am soooo ready to grovel at your feet right now. I SOOO SOOORRRYY for not updating!! I feel so terrible right now for doing that. Mostly i was being lazy but partly i was legitimatly bogged down by stress and homework and 2 plays for drama club. This whole signing up for college thing and keeping my grades up and dealing with a bitch of a teacher who is making every living moment of A.P Calc a hell, is seriously stressing me out. Anyway, i'm sorry if any of you thought i had stopped writing this or any of my other stories. I will keep with all of my stories til the very end. So you guys don't have to worry, i'm not a quiter, just bare with me. I'll try to be a little more prompt with my updates. Enjoy :)**

**Fuck the disclaimer...you already know what i would say by now.**

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chap.8

"HE WHAT!!!?" Ebony eyes turned a crimson shade as Sasuke was ready to leap off the balcony of his friend's apartment.

"Sasuke, calm down," the blonde tried to reason. Naruto was standing in the living room watching the upset night-walker pace back and forth like a caged tiger before Sasuke settled to kill the first piece of furniture he could get his hands on. "Sure the guy's a creep…strike that, REALLY CRAZY, but I'm over it now. I'll just make sure to ask the old hag to assign me someone who isn't a sexual predator."

"You're OVER it? That guy practically raped you! He violated you!" The tall brunet was panting with anger, strangling the arm of the couch all the while. The little 'rape' bit threw Naruto for a loop. Rape? The guy merely licked him. But…the blonde couldn't deny that he relished the attention and caring (even if it was a little much) from the vampire. It was kind of hot.

Prying Sasuke's elegant figure from the sofa, Naruto led the man to sit.

"Please Sasuke, just let it go." Incoherent mumbling from the man was the only reply. A few words, though, did catch the blonde's attention like 'dark alley', 'all alone', 'castrate', and 'bleed him dry'. What most surprised Naruto was when Sasuke mumbled "No one touches my Naruto."

'_His?'_

The red in the Uchiha's eyes bled away, leaving behind their former black abyss. His breath slowed down as he rolled his shoulders. Ok, so maybe he overreacted a bit, but that didn't stop the brunet from boiling in anger over the fact that some prissy ass new guy thought he could touch HIS Naruto! He would have to teach the kid a thing or two. The blonde's silence drew Sasuke out of his inner scheming.

"You ok?" The Uchiha looked over at the motionless Naruto.

"Huh, oh, ya. I'm fine. Just…thinking." Naruto tried to hide his embarrassment with a small smile. The blush, however, didn't go unnoticed. Without waiting another second, Sasuke grabbed his chance at letting Naruto know how he truly felt for him.

"Naruto…?" The brunet stood from his sitting position on the couch.

"Huh?" Looking up quickly, the blonde was startled by Sasuke's serious tone and movement.

"How do you feel about me?" Whatever Naruto thought that the vampire would say, this was not even close. The hunter was stunned, his mouth agape in wordless confusion.

"I…I..You know Sasuke. We're friends of course, I mean, don't you think of me as your friend? We're buddies, right? We've known each other for so long, I only assumed..." Naruto nervously backed against the wall as his word became faster.

"That's not what I'm asking," the vampire cut the blonde off. His deep voice retaining a calm evenness of someone who wouldn't take anything less than a serious answer. "Am I merely your friend, or…do you feel something more…for me. Because, ..I've felt more for you for so long. And I don't think I can keep these feelings down any more, watching you everyday and trying to not scare you away." Sasuke was now standing in front of the frozen blonde, both hands caressing the thin whisker marks on the smaller boy's tanned cheeks.

"……….." Sasuke stared into watery blue eyes, the ones he had adored for longer than he cared to remember. No sound escaped from Naruto, seemingly too frightened to answer.

"…well then….I.. guess I'll be going." The Uchiha withdrew his hands slowly, sorrow creeping up from the bowels of his stomach.

"NO! Don't go! I'm sorry.. I…I just didn't know what to say...you kinda caught me off guard is all.." Naruto took Sasuke's hands in his tanned ones, placing them back against his face. "Di…Did you really mean those things you said? About having feels for me?" The blonde's blue eyes were closed as his pressed into the Uchiha's palms. It was Sasuke's turn to be shocked as his ebony pools were wide, though not in displeasure. A trademark smirk made its way back onto the vampire's mouth.

"Have you ever known me to lie, Naruto?"

"………………."

"…did you really like that sweater I bought you three Christmases ago?"

"Well...maybe I lied that one time.." Naruto gaped in mock horror bringing a hearty chuckle out of the normally stoic Uchiha.

"I can't believe you lied to me! You really didn't like the sweater?"

"No."

"Bu..but, I thought the orange and yellow was really good on you."

Sasuke's eyebrow merely twitched in annoyance at the memory of the _cheery_ sweater from hell. He had worn the god-forsaken piece of fabric for the rest of the company Christmas party to make Naruto happy. What made Naruto even think that he would like such a …._gift_.

The blonde turned away from the vampire, tears filling his eyes.

"Na..Naruto, ah..you're not crying are you?"

-sniff- "No, I'm not!"

"I..I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or anything.." The brunet placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder to turn him around to face him when Naruto suddenly sprang forward. The hunter placed his mouth on Sasuke's neck, biting him and pulling away with a –smack- from a chaste kiss on the red spot.

"Ah! God, Naruto! That fucken hurt! What'd you do that for?!" The brunet's face was bright red (well, as red as a vampire's face can get), his hands flew up, clutching the aching spot on his neck.

-giggle- "That's payback for that thing you did a couple days ago," Naruto gave a sly wink, " And no, I'm not upset over the sweater. I only bought it for you to see if you'd actually wear it." With a laugh, the blonde darted away and ran to the front door.

"So, what are you gonna do about it?" Another mischievous smirk and the fox-boy was gone, waiting for vampire to follow. Sasuke remained still for a moment longer before placing his hands in his pockets, chuckling to himself.

"Well, if that's how you like to play, bring it on." The brunet stalked out of the apartment after Naruto, closing the door behind him.

* * *

**A/N: How was it? I promise i'll try to update more than i have in the past. (Just wait til i get accepted into college, then i can stop caring about school and focus on writing just for the hell of it :) Please review! Oh, and check out my author profile if you haven't in a while. **


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